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Topic: Episode 354 (Read 18830 times)

I want to cry, all those years waiting for this ... 2 times I tough I was a goner for good and one of my regrets was to haven't lived long enough to see this and now May the Idea of Evil/God hand bless us with the chance to see next episode.

Schierke: If she keeps her sanity while having such horrible memoriesSchierke: It will bring her an enormous pain that we can't imagine. Schierke: ...Precisely speaking, she rather broke down because she couldn't endure it.

....

Page 20

Farnese: You will be surely able to meet him.

Dammit... anybody got that old emoji of Guts sobbing? The Judos just aren't going to cut it.

So Schierke remembered Skull Knight's foreboding words on the beach and reached the same conclusion to their meaning as Guts. And it was enough to give her pause and wonder if this was really the correct course of action. Which makes Farnese's speech to the sprite, and by extension to Casca herself, that much more powerful. She may not have suffered to the extent that Casca has, but she understands how it feels to be so afraid that all you can do is cower and hide. And more than that, she also knows that's not the right course of action. Sooner or later, you have to come out of hiding and confront that which you fear.

The student has much to teach the mentor. And Guts has inadvertently been serving as a mentor himself.

Schierke: If she keeps her sanity while having memories of such a horrible experienceSchierke: It will bring her an enormous pain that we can't imagine. Schierke: ...Precisely speaking, she rather broke down because she couldn't endure it.

Skull Knight: What you wish for may not be what she wishes for.Schierke: ...I guess this is what he implied.

Thanks so much, Puella. Wow, I wasn't even thinking of this being addressed in this episode! The source of the trauma has been verbalized, we have an indication of Casca's condition upon waking, and we have a possible answer to SK's warning, all on one page. I wish we had a bit more on it, since it's such a huge part of Casca's internal conflict. But this is probably just opening the door to the conflict to come.

I've read through the ep 4 times now, and I can't get over how evocative and powerful the imagery of the heart is. The scene of the Eclipse being sucked into it, covered in thorns, and then thrust back into her chest, as the group hopes for the best upon waking up. Good luck, folks!

Which makes Farnese's speech to the sprite, and by extension to Casca herself, that much more powerful. She may not have suffered to the extent that Casca has, but she understands how it feels to be so afraid that all you can do is cower and hide. And more than that, she also knows that's not the right course of action. Sooner or later, you have to come out of hiding and confront that which you fear.

More than that, it's setting up Farnese to be Casca's confidant, guide, and probably the bridge to rejoin her with Guts.

Amazing stuff, I like it when Miura revisits classic Berserk scenes with his new artstyle, I'm especially fond of his new take on the interstice face landscape, I also have to sing praises to the double page spread of Casca losing her sanity, it's an intense and heartbreaking metaphor of her sense of self shattering into pieces, as well as the final page of Casca opening her eyes, we've had a lot of amazing cliffhangers from this corridor of dreams sequence, but this has to be one of my favourites of all time.

I would have preferred a lot more from the rape flashback itself, considering we've seen a lot of versions of the apostle slaughter flashback already, and only ever Femto from Guts perspective. And it must have been extremely hard for Schierke and Farnese to experience second hand, but in my opinion it gets brushed aside far too brazenly. Not good.

I had an image of Casca coming to terms with her trauma and wasting away the apparitions, but I wasn't expecting the dream to just vanish, however, nightmares tend to just switch off when they end, instead of exploding, so in retrospect I think this was more appropriate an end. I'm also glad it wasn't Bladewolf Guts who killed the Femto apparition off, since having the creature alive keeps the stakes high for Schierke and Farnese who have to contend with an unbeatable foe, it also serves the overall story by keeping the result of the real confrontation between Guts and Griffith ambiguous.

It's been said before, but I am excited for what comes next, not only for the character drama but because Casca is a pivotal character who's desires at this time have to potential to change the whole trajectory of the story, Guts has no real reason to leave Elfhelm at this point, he's got everything he wants, and he lives in the complete safety of a land immune to evil spirits. Something must come next, whatever that something is, I'll look forward to it.

I would have preferred a lot more from the rape flashback itself, considering we've seen a lot of versions of the apostle slaughter flashback already, and only ever Femto from Guts perspective. And it must have been extremely hard for Schierke and Farnese to experience second hand, but in my opinion it gets brushed aside far too brazenly. Not good.

The panel in this episode of Casca's perspective where Guts has been pinned down by the apostles also has a shot of Femto from Casca's perspective. Its the panel immediately before Casca shatters. We see Femto's chin nose and eyes above her looking down at her as shes being held and raped while forced to watch Guts in that scene ...

The panel in this episode of Casca's perspective where Guts has been pinned down by the apostles also has a shot of Femto from Casca's perspective. Its the panel immediately before Casca shatters. We see Femto's chin nose and eyes above her looking down at her as shes being held and raped while forced to watch Guts in that scene ...

One panel that doesn't even dominate the page, like I said I would have liked to have seen more, even vol 17 has a better version of that scene.

One panel that doesn't even dominate the page, like I said I would have liked to have seen more, even vol 17 has a better version of that scene.

I'm with Flibble on this. I was a bit thrown off by how quickly the rape itself was dealt with. Instead of making the physical rape the brutal, visceral experience I thought it would be, Miura emphasized the atmosphere of the Eclipse and the trauma of it. He was economical about it, and gave more weight to the new elements here (Casca's breaking, the heart, and the body's restoration). But looking over everything, I do think the act of the rape itself was de-emphasized as a result. I also think part of my reaction was based on expectation for what the Eclipse would do to Farnese and Schierke (nothing, really). Miura chose to focus on what mattered: The breaking and the reunification of Casca in the same episode.

What a strong psychological build-up (kinda reversal, that is) through that already memorable "corridor of dreams" sub-arc. The whole thing was an anthology of symbolism. Once again, I'm simply flabbergasted.

I still can't realize what I was seeing in front of that last panel. 1997. Since that year, how many guys have been waiting for Casca; for that awakened face.

But yet, we should not fall in a rejoicing fest. That kind of situation is obviously fitting to call up a sinister hunch. Berserk.

I'm with Flibble on this. I was a bit thrown off by how quickly the rape itself was dealt with. Instead of making the physical rape the brutal, visceral experience I thought it would be, Miura emphasized the atmosphere of the Eclipse and the trauma of it. He was economical about it, and gave more weight to the new elements here (Casca's breaking, the heart, and the body's restoration). But looking over everything, I do think the act of the rape itself was de-emphasized as a result. I also think part of my reaction was based on expectation for what the Eclipse would do to Farnese and Schierke (nothing, really). Miura chose to focus on what mattered: The breaking and the reunification of Casca in the same episode.

The more I think about it, the more I love it

I couldnít agree more. I think it makes perfect sense that the focus was completely on Casca, but I wonder whether what we saw was it for Schierke and Farnese, in terms of the impact of what they experienced, or if there will be ramifications which will be presented to us at a later stage (where it wouldnít take anything away from Cascaís restoration).

This episode was really jam-packed with content, and not all of it is obvious.

For instance, the Demon Child. As I had mentioned when the previous episode was released, I didn't see how the child could be featured in the memories in a way that made sense, and so I wasn't surprised by his absence. He was a great symbol for what went down during the Eclipse, but that didn't mean he would be in there. However, Miura didn't just draw him as a placeholder. I believe seeing the Demon Child in this context has brought Schierke and Farnese much closer to learning about Guts and Casca's son, who I think we all know will be central to much of the story going forward. It will fit with the other puzzle pieces they've gathered, like the Moonlight Boy's strange power and his affection for Casca (and Guts).

I also think what went down between Farnese and the Sprite has all but put an end to her crush on Guts. I had noted this earlier on in the dream sequence, and I think her resolve to help Casca get over her trauma further solidifies it. We will most likely get one last scene where she reflects on it, but it's pretty much done. On that topic, I find it amazing that Farnese and Schierke can have that much character development while this part of the story isn't about them specifically. It's the kind of dense but coherent storytelling you can only find in Berserk.

Obviously, the biggest development of them all occurs at the end, when Farnese draws from her own experience, from her personal journey, and resolves that she will help Casca through her trauma like Guts (and the others) helped her through hers. Very powerful memory (a bit reminiscent of Guts in volume 17), and it both establishes Farnese as Casca's soon-to-be confidante (a rearranging of group dynamics I had predicted years ago), but also as the group's future therapist of sorts. That might include helping Guts and Casca find each other again, but it could be more as well. Isidro, Serpico and Schierke all have issues they could use some help with...

The memories contained in the last fragment were what we expected: what broke Casca, meaning the Eclipse and more specifically her rape by Femto. It lasts only four pages, which is shorter than I had figured it would be. I feel that a full page of Femto looming over her and a bigger shot of Guts being pinned down would have better underlined the horror and despair of the situation. That being said I can see why Miura chose to focus on Casca's feelings, on her inner eye, and like I said earlier today I really like how he depicted the shattering of her mind. Schierke and Farnese's dialog also lends it much more weight, what with Schierke warning Farnese in advance and that incredible shot of Farnese's eyes as she experiences Casca's unspeakable pain.

The falcon's attack was also expected, and while I can't say it served a deep purpose, it was effective at adding the necessary tension to the scene. I really like how it is depicted in this episode, and I like that it has the upper hand on the dog, even with Farnese's little armor boost. The way it simply ceases to exist, along with the rest, as soon as the last fragment is inserted in the doll was what I wanted to see and I like how it was done. That, along with how the dog returns at the end, fully healed, and howls to complete the ritual, also validates what I posited when we were introduced to the nightmare. All elements were parts of Casca: the dog was her fighting-spirit, the part of her that struggled and didn't want to give up. The Sprite represented her true self, her ego. The broken doll was her broken mind, and the falcon and assorted monsters were her dark emotions, resulting from the Eclipse, the parts of her that prevented her to return. Those were dominant, which is why she couldn't regain herself without outside intervention.

Side note: Farnese still clearly refers to Guts when she tells the Sprite she'll soon meet the one she longs for. Time will tell who the Sprite actually referred to, but the fact it literally goes into the Brand feels like it could be a reference to Casca's love for her son (who she can feel... through her Brand). It's not necessarily the case, but I could see it happening. Speaking of the Sprite, am I the only one sad to see her go? She's just so cute. Who knows, though, maybe she's not gone forever. After all, Casca won't have a "Beast of Darkness" per se, but Miura might choose to personify her trauma like he does for Guts.

One thing I did not expect was for Casca's trauma to not be addressed at all. They simply restore her there and then... but with the caveat that the trauma will have to be dealt with afterwards. It makes complete sense of course, as it will allow the issue to be dealt with progressively and over a long period of time. Now the big question is what will this new Casca be like? How will that darkness affect her? Can't wait to find out.

I wish I could be as excited about this moment as everyone else, I never really liked Cascaís character so Iím not feeling cathartic about her returning to the story. Episode still looks awesome though.

I wish I could be as excited about this moment as everyone else, I never really liked Cascaís character so Iím not feeling cathartic about her returning to the story. Episode still looks awesome though.

This is not about liking a character or not. Take picture of the journey until that momentum; what it could mean for the story itself... and for Guts, out of the bunch.

I guess my timing is pretty great cause I just started rereading Berserk from the beginning after a 2 year break and now I wake up to this episode ending with the suggestion that Casca, one of my favorite characters will return back to normal, hopefully by the time Im done my reread, it'll be March, a new episode will be out and we'll know for sure. Haven't been this excited for future episodes in a loooonnnngg time.

I wish I could be as excited about this moment as everyone else, I never really liked Cascaís character so Iím not feeling cathartic about her returning to the story. Episode still looks awesome though.

Meaning you are not able to feel empathetic or that you outright dislike Casca as a character in the story? I suppose this is a whole different thread, but still... I'm just curious. In a way I also think many people are excited because Casca became a symbol for the struggle, a person's ability to heal and move on (much like Guts in his own action-packed way), despite the character itself not being the most likeable to everyone.

Wow, we made it! I feel like we're the one's that have been on the journey to restore Casca's sanity all these years (Schierke and Farnese are Johnny-come-latelys =). Thanks first and foremost to puella and Aaz for the insta-translation, and everyone else on this journey with us, especially Wally for being our gracious host (this feels like a lifetime achievement award speech or something =). Anyway, I'm actually happy I got on late tonight so there were no spoiler page temptations and it's already translated!

I'm going to commemorate this momentous occasion a little differently now. This is an odd way to start a compliment, but I don't think this was Miura's best work or anything, just exactly the high quality execution we expect in the series' biggest moments, but which we pretty much always get in any and every moment, so it seems kind if normal! That is to say, Miura tries just as hard on the little things in the buildup on the way as in the big payoffs. We don't have to suffer through tons of shit being shoveled to us before we get rewarded, he makes it all rewarding along the way, which is why we're even still here after so long. Anyway, I just wanted to point out that despite this being the nost special of moments, it's also completely in line with what we've come to expect from the latest episode of Berserk, and that's fantastic.

I'm obviously very happy with how it was all done, from the focus on Casca to relief at not making her, and us, relive the rape. It looms so large we need not dwell on the particulars anymore, though it will inevitably come up again, but the devastation it wrought and the recovery are more important now. I also think it's a different time and if Miura did it over again he'd probably handle the scene differently; not that he did anything wrong the first time, but he'd do it just as different now than if he'd drawn it 20 years earlier, it's just how times, tastes and styles evolve as clearly as the artwork. I also liked the sparing use of the child and the way things just... ended, that was lowkey my favorite moment, the surreal transition between those two panels of the Femto-dragon and *poof* gone. It basically addressed all of our questions and concerns perfectly in the process (even Aaz's =). On that note...

Schierke: If she keeps her sanity while having memories of such a horrible experienceSchierke: It will bring her an enormous pain that we can't imagine. Schierke: ...Precisely speaking, she rather broke down because she couldn't endure it.

Skull Knight: What you wish for may not be what she wishes for.Schierke: ...I guess this is what he implied.

So the simplest explanation turns out correct, they wanted her back, but she was gone for a reason, and now they'll have to deal with that and what they did. I'm so excited and yet anxious with expectations, and the unexpected, because for the first time in a long time I don't really know what to expect out of a character in Berserk. Just "hearing" Casca talk again will be surreal, no matter what she says, and like Griffith after his return I don't necessarily expect her to be like her old self but something new, another iteration. A new phase, and a brave new world and phase of the story too, even moreso than Fantasia or Griffith's incarnation, and speaking if which, that last page...

I'm so excited and yet anxious with expectations, and the unexpected, because for the first time in a long time I don't really know what to expect out of a character in Berserk. Just "hearing" Casca talk again will be surreal, no matter what she says, and like Griffith after his return I don't necessarily expect her to be like her old self but something new, another iteration.

Yeah that's one of the biggest things for me this event heralds, that we're really going into uncharted waters in terms of what to expect for the characters next. Like prior to this, Casca's awakening was a general plot destination/goal one could mold their suppositions around in terms of predicability. But beyond Casca be able to lucidly process her trauma now (and later revelations regarding the Moonlight Boy later down the line) there is so much unknown potential to the "what comes next" for the characters and the story.

I'm blown away! I am literally speechless right now, I was squirming in my seat like a little kid going through this. I honestly have not been this excited about something in a very long time. I was so excited that I had to go back and look over the episode two or three more times because in my excitement I was missing details.

My goodness that last panel with the close up of Casca's face with that lucid expression on it...I've missed sane Casca's character design for her face, how she always had such a decided expression on her face, I just saw it. It's almost weird seeing her look like that with her long hair, it almost seems misplaced on Casca with long hair because I have grown so accustomed to her vapid wide eyed childish facial expressions with that physical feature.

I'm not sure how I feel about the rape thing, I honestly thought it was going to be longer but I guess not getting into too many graphic details on it is for the best. I like that schirke had the intutition to realize that something additional needed to be done before throwing the last memory fragment into the doll like the others and the tie in to what skull Knight said linked to this. And what a nice character moment for Farnese to give that last speech to the sprite and showing empathy for Casca's trauma. It was a great moment of understanding on her part because back on the boat Farnese lost her patients with Casca and lashed out at her a bit due her frustration of how Casca was acting. But now Farnese has seen first hand why she became infantile and sympathized with her, I feel it all came full circle in this moment and honestly it was beautiful. I hope that to those who have hated on Casca for going insane can finally appreciate the magnitude that the eclipse and her rape had on her and that it wasn't some any person regardless of how tough they are could just "get over it"without outside help.

But best of all in the end it was Casca's choice to come back to her self and it wasn't forced on her. I was kind of worried that how this would play out.

I was posting from work and I has tight on time, and simply wanted to state even just one word that was in the moment of me experiencing the episode.

Amazing episode. Like many have stated before, I too have waited years to see this moment. I never really have much to add that hasn't been said before when it comes to the latest episodes. I do keep up with the discussion without really ever posting much. Most of the time folks on here, put things I feel into better words than I can myself.

Casca has always been undoubtedly my favorite character, and through all the chapters, arcs, close calls, cute moments, I have waited for this "AWAKING" pretty much most of my life. So many times I felt for Guts with a heavy heart. I'm so eager to see how Casca processes the world and everyone. Again, simply a amazing episode.

And heres to another watershed moment! The upcoming character interactions and subsequent development have me chomping at the bit. I won't even speculate on how the next handful of episodes will play out, really I'm happy to just hop on and enjoy the ride. The various emotions and drama to come may not be quite as intense as what we just witnessed but it's going to be bubbly.

Hopefully I don't need to encase the rest of this in black, but spoiler warning to anyone reading further!

Jumping right into the debate at hand... I think how the rape was handled in this episode was just about spot on. We've already experienced it when it happened, we've reflected on it with Guts and his right eye's last sight, and now I think the way we see it from Casca's perspective fits in well with how we've been experiencing her memories in the dream so far- where nothing has been overly dwelled on. Making it far enough to even trigger the memory was a traumatic battle in itself and then you have Schierke's warnings as the memory opens with a stark picture of the eclipse. As with the other memories we, again, get right to the point as all the terrors and violence swirl in a horrifying, disorienting vortex with only the rape scene piercing through all that confusion, emphasizing it's importance before the gorgeous two-page spread of Casca shattering into pieces of a broken doll- highlighting both the critical moment as well as finally revealing the knowledge Schierke and Farnese were chasing all this time. I also don't think Miura necessarily needed to show more as in my opinion he already made us do the work for him... we've been remembering/debating that harrowing scene for literally months, even casual readers were worried about how it would be broached. Having it be the only clear moment in a sea of other horrors told me enough. It's also important to remember that while she may be sane now, her trauma is far from cured. We'll just have to see how that's dealt with in the future.